SCTelcom Approved for Connectivity Emergency Response Grant

9:32AM October 06, 2020

SCTelcom is happy to announce they have been awarded funding under the Connectivity Emergency Response Grant (CERG) to address the increased need for Internet connectivity in Kansas in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds must be used to improve connectivity to unserved and underserved areas of Kansas to address the needs of telework, telehealth, distance learning and other remote business services.

The first step was to identify areas of great need in Barber, Harper and Pratt counties. SCTelcom was notified of the award on September 25, 2020 and will begin construction for the main fiber network line in these areas immediately. SCTelcom has contracted several local companies, DLS Underground (Harper) and Wildcat Construction (Wichita), to lay this main line and Nationwide Telephone Contractors (Cheney) will splice the system together. This is the very first step in bringing high speed Internet to these areas of need. Residents will begin to see crews working in neighborhoods. 

Fiber is the basis for cutting edge networks that are not nearly ubiquitous enough in Rural America. When asked about the expansion, CEO, Carla Shearer said, “We realize how important a reliable internet connection has become for so many households in our communities, and for so many reasons, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to make this happen for our neighbors.” Fiber not only allows for speeds of a Gigabit per second or more, the network is exceptionally reliable, scalable, and secure allowing for future growth and expansion outside of just lightning fast Internet speeds. 

SCTelcom will construct approximately 45.2 miles of mainline fiber in portions of Barber, Harper and Pratt Counties.  The fiber-to-the-premise projects will make high-speed Internet available to 192 farms, businesses, and residences that do not have access to the high-speed and high-quality broadband that fiber promises.

After construction of the main line, SCTelcom will begin construction on the individual service drops to residences and businesses.

If you are interested in high speed fiber Internet, please start by entering your address above. You can also contact our office at 877-723-6875.  

To keep the community informed during construction, SCTelcom will provide updates on the company’s Facebook page and website.

For more information, please contact SCTelcom at 877-723-6875.